Crankcase ventilation



Aug. 16, 1932. R. scHl'rTKE cRANKcAsE VENTILATION Filed Jan. 50. 1930Patented Aug. 16, 1932 ROBERT SOHITTKE, or LANSING, MICHIGAN, AssiGNoiaTo GENERAL ivio'ions CORPORA- TION, OF DETROIT,

CRANKCASE 'VENTILATIONv Application'led January 30,

It isan object of this invention to ventilate an engine crankcase bymeans such as a fan or blower combined with a gear and so secured uponone of the usual engine-comprised shafts as to obviate all necessityfoi' the employment of additional housing.. or bearing or driving meansvfor the fan or blower element; and preferred embodiments of the presentinvention contemplate such a 1o modification and use of a drivensprocket on one end of the camshaft as to effect a continuous movementof air through, and prefera-bly an ejection of air from, the crankcasewhenever the engine is in operation.

Broadly, it is an obj ect of this invention to provide simple,inexpensive and concealed but'nevertheless eflicient means to withdrawwater and other vapors from an engine crankcase,-thereby minimizingunion of these vapors with chemical elements which would cause corrosionand also obviating formation of ice during cold weather; and it is alsoan object of this invention to provide a novel gear, suitabl for use invarious machines requiring ventilation.'V This gear may comprise notonly means for effecting a movement of air therethrough but means forthe terminal attachment of said gear to a shaft through which motion istransmitted to additional parts; and preferred embodiments of theinvention may involvek the use of not only curved blades or impellerelements between the hub and the periphery of a. sprocket, but also someuse of a` conical or other flow-guiding element, either rotative orstationary, and/or the use of stationary curved blades, and/Or the useof someA special outlet supported by or comprised in a cover tting, ashereinafter described.

@ther objects of the present invention may be bestappreciated by thefollowing description, taken in connection with thel appended claims andthe accompanying drawing.' A

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the front end of an enginein which the invention is embodied. Figure 2 is a vertical section,taken substantially as indicated by the line 2-2 o-f Figure 1, or theline 2-2 of Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken MICHIGAN, A' CORIORATIONOIE DELAWARE ieao. sensing. 424,625.

substantially implied'b-y the broken line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is-a view comparable with Figure 1, butl showing an alternative`type of air exit fitting. t v

Referring first to shown in the conventional features drawing, crankcase10 may be providedy with an oil pan 11 and include or enclose anydesired structural f elements,-

such as partial portion web 12 for the support of a crankshaft 13 andacamshaft 14,

motion may be transmitted between which by means `comprising a lowersprocket gear 15, and a sprocket chainl. Coming now yto novel features,the mentioned crankcase isshown as comprising also a special frontclosure openings for the advance of air;

16 is shown as extending over sprocket chain a novel gear 18, whi

plate 17, provided with and the ch serves not only to transmit motion tothe camshaft 14 vbut to advance air, for a Ventilating effect,throughthe mentioned openings in the cover-plate 17.

.The gear 18 is shown as concave, u

substantially conical web 19. This web with air inlet openings ing a nis provided-not only compris- 2O but with ,backwardly'inclined blades21,-

extending inwardly to a point near the mentioned openings andoutwardlyto a substantially cylindrical tooth-carrying flange Q2,- thecurvature of the blades 21 being such as to produceva fan or centrifugalblower effect during rotation of the gear the edge of flange 22.

as terminally secured to the 18, to deliver air past The gear 18 isshown shaft 14 by means comprising apin 23 yand machine screws 24;

and it may be 25 of shaft 14 extends The coverplate 17 any desirednumber of provided with an opening such as that through which aprojecting portionV to center it on shaft 14. may be provided with airinlet oroutlet openings 29, shown in Fig. 1 as normally concealed by anoutlet fitting or air-directive element 80. This maybe seated upon agasket 31 in a circular or other groove and may be secured by means suchas is shown las provided tending flange 33,

Ythe mentioned flange flanges cooperating to a screw 32. The

plate 17 with an inwardly eX- substantially opposite 22 of gear 18,-saiddefine a blower chamber; and the air-advancing effect obtained byrotation of the backwardly inclined blades 21 may be enhanced by theinterposition of suitable guide means, such as a conical element 34.

In preference to securing' this conical element to the'ge'ar 19, it maybe carried by means such as an inward projection or boss 35, shownasintegral .with-,the cover plate 17 ,gand said boss may, if`desired,;bechamberedi to receive a spring-pressed bearing 0r retainingelement 36 pressing against a small' circular plate 27, to axiallylocate shaft 14. If desired, further to contribute'to'the'efficiencyofthe describedA combination gearand blower, the plate 1'7 'may beadditionally provided with` integral or other stationary.` blades 37adapted'y toK direct any," `airv ywhich has advanced betweensubstantially parallel outwardlyfconvergentpwalls provided by web 19and' conical p'latee'., The mentioned stationary blades tendto' obviatemere ed'dying or turbulent disturbance of-ltheair and' to deliver thesameth'rough openings :29' and the fitting v 0,-i`f'the latter is'employed and if the concavity of gear ,18 is outwardly" disposed andif'said gear isrotatedinthe' direction aboveindicated'. y. l. .y l.. .4n y ,The stationaryjbla'des 37 and the fitting 34 should"beunderstoodto'servevnot only' for the guidance of the` airbut asa means,cooperatin'g'y with mentioned movabl'ean'd station# ary parts', intheelimination of droplets of any Oily or other' vapors which ma.,v be;pulled over'vvith the ain-,theientraifneddroplets -bejing'eitherthrowi'i'to the' periphery ofthegear 1'8 or received' by'V the plate171er parts 'carried thereby in such marinerfas tet and drip through thenarrow slot between flange 33 and gearwlS back intothe pan 1l, or its:equivalent. The fitting 30 is shownas provided ywithv an air outletopening 38, surrounded by an inwardly turned, flange `39etheconfiguration of the fitting 30, thefposition of the ope-ning 38 and theshape lof rthe flangefg being such as to reduce or obviateunduebaclrpressure, as resulting from the advance ofthe engine when used uponan automotivevehicle, and also to obviate' drip ofcondensatetherethrough. A pipe maybe inserted in or fastened .to opening38 softo convey` the vapors toany desired point of discharge',V andtheformf'shown in Figure/i will be seen` to differ from that shown inpreceding figures primarily' vin that, for the veffects last referredto, the front cover plate 17 is provided with la special opening 29',occupying an elevated positionurelatively to an axis of shaft 1li-airbeing upwardly and rearwardly delivered therefroml by means of acomparatively simple elbow fitting 30?,V

opening at 3.8.

In both of the described embodiments, it will be understood that thespecial gear 18 is ordinarilyso rotated as to advance air outwardlyrather than inwardly; and air may accordingly be admitted through anyusual or preferred means, such as a filler pipe 40 or 40, disposed neareither end, but preferably nearer the rear end, of a cranlrcase; and theair so admitted will be seen to be drawn upwardly past web 12 or throughany desired openings 41 therein, advancing to a vent or vents in thegeneral manner above described andas indicated by various arrows.

Although the foregoing description has included specific reference tobut one type of gear randf'to but two types of outlet littings, itshould be understood not only that various features of the presentinvention might be independently employed, and that the dispositionofthe convexity in gear 18 musty depend upon whether an outwardv or aninwardv movement of air is to be effected thereby, but also that variousfeatures of this invention might be independently em-' ploy'ed, and thatnumerous additionalV modifications might easily be devised, by workersinformed of the foregoing, without involving the slightest departurelfrom the present invention.

I claim:

1. vIn an internal combustiony engine 1' a crank'case having aAventilation opening; an engine-comprised shaft carrying agear inproximity to saidv opening and means, in-' cluding blades upon saidgear, for advancing air through said opening-said shaft beinga camshaftof said engine. v

2.' In an internal combustion engine: a

cranlca'sehaving a ventilation-opening; an

engine-comprised shaft carrying a gear in proximity to said opening; andmeans, including .lades upon said gear, for advancing air through saidopening-said gear being a sprocket gear for driving said shaft. Fl s 3'.In anV internal combustion engine: a crankcase having a ventilationopening; an engine'comprised shaft carrying a gear 'in proximity to saidopening; and' means, including' blades upon said gear, for advancing airthrough said opening,-said gear beingterni'inally secured to said shaft.

l. In an internal combustion engine: a cranlrcase having a ventilationopening; an

engine-comprised shaft carrying a gear inr proximity to said opening;and means, including blades upon said gear, for advancing air throughsaid opening, -said gear comprising a concave web having air passagesbetween said blades.

5. In an internal combustion engine: a cranlcase having a ventilationopening; an engine-comprised shaft carrying a gearin proximity Ato saidlopening; and means, 1ncludingblades upon said gear, for advancing airthrough said opening, said gear comprising a concave web having airpassages between said blades and near the inner .ends thereof.

6. In an internal combustion' engine: a

cranlrcase having a ventilation opening; an engine-comprised shaftcarrying a gear in proximity to said opening; and means, includingblades upon said gear, for advancing air through said opening,-saidlastmentioned means comprising stationary blades disposed opposite theblades of said gear.

7 In an internal combustion engine: a crankcase having a ventilationopening; an enginescomprised shaft carryin a gear in proximity to saidopening; an means, including blades upon said gear, for advancing airthrough said opening,-said lastmentioned means comprising a conicalplate disposed opposite the blades on said gear.

8. In an internal combustion engine: a crankcase having a ventilationopening; an engine-comprised shaft carrying a gear in proximity to saidopening; and means, including blades upon said gear, for advancing airthrough said opening,-said opening being provided With an air-direotivefitting.

9. In an internal combustion engine: a i

cranlrcase having a ventilation opening; an engine-comprised shaftcarrying a gear in proximity to said opening; and means, includingblades upon said gear, for advancing air through said opening,-saidopening being an outlet opening provided with means to obviate an exitof entrained oil globules therethrough.

10. In an internal combustion engine: a crankcase having a ventilationopening; an engine-comprised shaft carrying a gear in proximity to saidopening; and 1neansin cluding blades upon said gear, for advancing airthrough said opening,-said crankcase including a cover plate throughwhich said opening extends.

11. In an internal combustion engine: a crankoase having a ventilationopening: an engine-Comprisedshaft carrying a gear in proximity to saidopening; and means, including blades upon said gear, for advancing airthrough said opening,-said crankcase including a cover plate throughWhich said opening extends, and said opening being provided with anair-directive fitting.

12. In an internal combustion engine: a crankcase having a ventilationopening: an engine-comprised shaft carrying a gear in proximity to saidopening; and means, including blades upon said gear, for advancing airthrough said opening,-said crankcase including a cover plate throughwhich said opening extends, and said plate being provided With bladessubstantially adjacent said opening.

13. In an internal combustion engine: a crankcase having a ventilationopening: an engine-comprised shaft carrying a gear in proximity to saidopening; and means, including blades upon said gear, for advancing airthrough said opening,-said crank-

